and a baptized Perfon, let him live what way he pleased. But now, fince, as all muft acknowledge, the chief Skill that our Saviour profeffed, was that of Living; the main Art and Myftery he pretended to teach, was the Art of ordering our Converfation fo, as that we might please God, and be accepted of him; there must go more to the making a Difciple of his, than either Belief, or Profeffion, or Baptifm. A Man, if he will deferve that Name, muft live as he lived, muft conform himself to his Manners, and Precepts of Living, and Way of Walking, otherwife he doth not follow him in the Art he profeffeth, and confequently is no more his Difciple than a Man because he wears a Turbant is the Difciple of Mahomet, tho' in all Things elfe he be a Jew; or than a Man of old was a Stoick, because he, like them, walked in the Portico, tho' in the mean time he held the Principles of Epicurus.

This is fo plain a Thing, that tho' we may fometimes, with a great deal of Pains, cheat ourselves, yet it is impoffible to impofe upon any indifferent Perfon in the Matter. Let us fuppofe a Heathen to have read the History of our Saviour, and from hence to be informed what his Pretences and Designs were in the World; what good Precepts he gave for the Conduct of Mens Converfation; what a kind of Life he

led;

led; how innocent, fober, chafte, meekfpirited, patient, humble, devout, charitable a Perfon he was: Will he not from this conclude, that furely all that pretend to be the Disciples of this Jefus, are obliged, not only in Confcience, but in Decency, and for their own Credit, and the Credit of their Mafter, to live as he lived ; or if they do not, they fhew they do not belong to him? Shall any of us be able, with all the Art we have, let us pretend never fo much Devotion to our Lord, let us make never fo many Reverences at his Name, tho' we extol him to the Skies, tho' we prafefs we glory in nothing fo much as in being his Difciples, tho' we are zealous for his Religion above all Things, nay, tho' we fwear we would die for him, if there was occafion; yet, I fay, can any of us, with all these Artifices, make the Man believe that we are truly his Difciples, if we lead our Lives in a contrary Way to what he did? May he not truly and juftly reply to us, I hear your Words indeed, you are very civil and complimental to this Perfon whom you call your Saviour ; but you must pardon me, if I cannot believe you have any real Respect or inward Veneration for him? I cannot think that you either truly believe in him, or expect to be faved by him; for if you did, you could not poffibly live fo contrary both to

his Precepts or his Practices as I fee you do. He, as your own Story tells, was a meek, modeft, quiet-fpirited Man: But you are all Fire, when you are in the leaft provok'd. His Character was, that he did not only forgive great Injuries, but did Good to thofe that did them, and prayed for his bitterest Enemies: But you, on the contrary, on the leaft Affront, meditate a Revenge, and think your Honour never fafe till you have effected it. He defpifed the World, and was very well contented with his innocent Poverty: But you are for getting no more than all you can; and that too by all bafe and unjuftifiable Ways; and when you have done all, you are not contented with what you have, but ftill would have more. He was much a Stranger to all bodily Pleafures, and very moderate in the Ufe of the good Things of this Life: But you cannot live without Luxury, and Uncleannefs, and Drunkenness. How can thefe Manners comport with the being a Difciple of Jefus ?

I must confefs, I cannot fee how the fubtileft Man can anfwer these Reproaches of a Pagan. Either therefore let us live like Jefus Chrift, or throw away the Name of his Difciples. To keep that, and yet do the other, is a Piece of as great Hypocrify and Impudence as any Man can be guilty of.

But,

But, Thirdly and Laftly, to conclude all. If neither of thefe two foregoing Confiderations will perfuade us to fet ourselves to the Imitation of Chrift's Example, let it be confidered further, that there is an abfolute Neceffity that we fhould do it, even to fuch a Degree, that we are no way capable Subjects of the Mercies of Christ, or of any of the Benefits he hath purchased for Mankind if we do not.

The Proof of this is that known Maxim of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 6. 15. What Fellowship bath Light with Darkness? or what Agreement bath Chrift with Belial? All Christians do agree, that whatever they are to hope for in another World, was purchafed for them by Chrift, and that he is the Bestower of it; and that the Sum of it confifts in this, that they fhall be where Chrift is, and fhall for ever enjoy him. Now I ask, Can any Man reasonably expect that Chrift fhould have any Kindness for him, or confer any of the Benefits he hath purchased upon him, if he be of a different Spirit and Temper from what he was? Can he think that Chrift intended any Drop of his Blood, that was shed for Man's Salvation, for thofe ungrateful Wretches, that had fo little Regard to him, that they would not fo much as endeavour to frame their Minds and Souls to his Will, and copy out his Example in their Lives?

No Man can, with Reafon, think he did: for if the Spirit and Temper of Chrift was really amiable, was to be efteemed and beloved, then the contrary Spirit and Temper is to be defpifed and hated. And therefore, if we will fuppofe our Saviour to make true Estimates of Things, he must not, he cannot have any Kindness for those that, notwithstanding all the Obligations he hath laid upon them, do ftill retain and hug thofe evil Qualities which, of all Things in the World, are most contradictory to his holy Nature.

But fuppofing we could imagine that our Saviour was as unaccountably kind, as fome prefumptuous Men would have him; fuppofing he would fave those very Perfons that were moft oppofite and contrary to him in their Natures, and continued to their dying Day fo to be; yet it ought to be confidered, whether there be not a Repugnancy in the Nature of the Thing, that fuch Men fhould be faved or made happy by Chrift. My Meaning is, How good foever Chrift's Intentions may be fuppofed towards them, yet their own Qualities, which they carry out of the World with them, will put an eternal Bar to their Salvation. For, as I faid before, from St. Paul, What Concord hath Chrift with Belial? If the fupreme Happiness of a Christian be to be with Chrift, and to enjoy